Pickled trochus, perfumed vanilla, guava paste, honey from the seaside or even venison sausage… New Caledonia is an entire new chapter of culinary knowledge. Here cuisine is part of culture!

French cuisine in Nouméa

In Nouméa, regional French cuisine boasts originality to offer diverse culinary specialties every week. Plum tart, lentil stew, vanilla crème brûlée. Chefs love playing off Caledonian flavors to come up with new version of French classics, or else they are prepared according to the purest tradition.

Nouméa, the capital city of New Caledonia is on the ocean. Several bays extend along the city, providing magnificent beaches and points of view. Besides its natural features, Nouméa also has very attractive cultural offerings for tourists who choose to visit there.

From Ouvéa to the Isle of Pines, passing through Lifou, Tiga and Maré, the five islands bordering the Mainland, Grande Terre to the East are yet more gems to discover. From the blue hole of Hanawa at Ouvéa to the Warrior’s Leap at Wakone on Maré, via the Jokin Cliffs at Lifou or the Oro Bay on the Isle of Pines, let yourself be amazed!

The West Coast of the mainland (Grande Terre) shows off a great variety of scenery from its northern tip down to the area surrounding Nouméa. Characterised by both large spaces favouring cattle farming and a lagoon of stunning beauty, the West Coast is also host to a rich cultural heritage.

The central mountain range of the Mainland (Grande Terre) is a natural boundary, overlooking the very different faces of the East and West Coasts. Exposed to strong winds and therefore more humid, the eastern coast offers scenery with sumptuous flora. With a population of largely Melanesian origin, the East Coast has also retained a particularly charming flavour of authenticity.

The Great South, comprising the Mont-Dore and Yaté municipalities, is the most symbolic region for New Caledonia’s three main colours: blue, green and red. From the rainforest to the mining lands there are a thousand shades of green, while the ocean offers a dazzling palette of blues. But if one colour dominates the Great South, it is the specific red of its ground.

2,000 Chinese cruise ship passengers stop over in New Caledonia for the first time!

For the very first time, nearly 2,000 Chinese cruise ship passengers were welcomed to New Caledonia and Noumea during an inaugural port of call by the Costa Atlantica cruise ship on Wednesday 28 December. A special welcome was organised jointly by the High Commissioner, the New Caledonian Government, the South Province, New Caledonia Tourism (NCTPS), the Kenua Shipping Agency, the Port Authority and Costa Cruises. A beneficial meeting which, following the results of the recent Tourism Workshops, marks the beginning of a new dimension in the relationship between New Caledonia and China.

On Wednesday, 28 December, the Costa Atlantica cruise ship, with nearly 2,000 Chinese cruise passengers on board, stopped over in Noumea for the very first time, berthing at the Quai des Conteneurs (the container terminal) from 9am to 9pm. The ship left China on 30 November on a 45-day cruise to discover the South Pacific islands. Once alongside, the brand new cruise passengers received a warm welcome from the We Ce Ca dance group prior to setting off to discover Noumea, its population, its activities and businesses. To finish their visit on a high note, the Malawi and Artiflam fanfare bands played as the passengers re-embarked the ship.

During the morning, guests of the Chinese and New Caledonian delegations were welcomed aboard for a meeting. It should be noted that the Chinese media (Beijing TV) and one of the major Chinese Tour Operators, Caissa (who chartered the ship) were present. Standing next to the High Commissioner, a welcome speech was given by Martine Lagneau, first Vice President of the South Province and President of New Caledonia Tourism. Following this, the Port Authority Harbour Master and the Captain of the Costa Atlantica exchanged the traditional gifts of a plaque in the presence of Miss New Caledonia 2016.

The morning of Sino-Caledonian meetings enabled new links to be forged between the two countries. It demonstrates the firm desire of the government and provincial institutions as well as local tourism to display New Caledonia as a new destination to Chinese tourists, who represent a substantial development potential.